Two Sides of the Same Coin
by o0-flyinghigh-0o
Summary: Love and hate. By definition, polar opposites. And yet... hatred gives way to love, and from love, hatred is born. Fang x Ari well, kind of . One-shot. Set in the 2nd book. Probably deserves T rating.


Fang and Ari are such an interesting pair –the amount of hatred between them! I've used an awful lot of that to fuel this story, so it might seem offensive to some (not sure, but just covering my bases). Anyway, I hope that doesn't put you off. Reviews are greatly appreciated, even if you hated it. I can't improve if you don't tell me what to fix.

Disclaimer: No, I'm not JP. I don't own these characters; I just get to control them for a bit XD

***

Ari made his way across the small stretch of sky that separated his tree from the house where the flock was staying. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. He should be in that stupid tree, with his stupid binoculars, watching the great Maximum Ride. God, he hated her. She had everything he could possibly want. She had Jeb's admiration. She had a family that was not only willing to put up with her delusions, but let her take charge. She had Fang. And he was supposed to just watch her live out her perfect fairytale life, just hoping for the day he'd get to destroy it. But instead he was here, just inches away from the window. The same window his binoculars had strayed to when he as supposed to be watching Max.

A noise from inside made him jump and set his heart racing at a million miles an hour. He swallowed convulsively; it was now or never. He lifted one slightly shaking hand and knocked on the glass. The room was suddenly silent. He could picture the scene inside: a frozen figure, listening intently for a sign that everything was all right, that they were not under attack again. Ari took a deep, slow breath, hoping to calm himself down. All he managed to do was make himself feel slightly light headed. He knocked again.

Less than a second later, the curtain was ripped aside. He saw eyes widen as they realised exactly who was at their window, before settling on a murderous scowl. He tensed as the window was forced open, getting ready to say his piece.

'Fa –' he managed to get out before a hand tightened dangerously on his throat. Fang pushed him up against the wall, not loosening his vice-like grip.

'Why are you here?' he asked, his tone soft and full of scarcely veiled threats. Fang relaxed his hand slightly and Ari gasped for air.

'I wanted – ' he began, before being cut off yet again.

'You don't want. You're an eraser. Try again.'

'You. I came for you,' Ari said, desperation beginning to leak into his voice.

'To kill me? Or take me back to the school? Not that it really matters.'

'Neither!' Fang's eyes narrowed, and Ari, feeling flustered and scared, tried to continue, 'I wasn't going to do either. I wanted you, I needed you. For me. Not the school.'

'And why would I believe that load of bullshit?' Fang asked contemptuously. Ari fought back the sob that was threatening to escape.

'Because it's true. Because I _do_ want you. Because the School would never trust me to take you out on my own.' Ari looked hopefully at Fang, searching for a sign, something to tell him what he was thinking. Fang leaned in towards him and Ari's heart felt like it was racing at one hundred miles an hour.

'You know what, I think I believe you. Now you just need to give me a reason not to kill you.'

This time Ari didn't bother to try and hold back his sob, or the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

'_Please,_' Ari begged, his pale-blue tear-filled eyes staring into Fang's cold, dark ones.

A snide smile seemed to play across Fang's mouth, and when he leant in, Ari couldn't help but draw back. Fang pulled Ari back towards him, and kissed him gently on the lips. Ari's eyes widened, and Fang laughed.

'That's what you wanted wasn't it, faggot?' Ari nodded, ignoring the slur, and Fang smiled cruelly, 'You're too pathetic to kill.'

Ari leant in for another kiss, and Fang obliged, running his fingers through Ari's hair as he pulled him closer. Ari ran his tongue across Fang's lips, hoping to gain entrance, but instead Fang pulled away.

'You're a greedy little bugger, aren't you?' And Fang laughed. Once again, Ari overlooked the vindictive taint that seemed to cling to every word he uttered, and when Fang forced his tongue into Ari's mouth he accepted it readily, drawing in Fang's taste and feel of him in his mouth.

When Fang finally pulled away, Ari felt better than he ever had before.

'I love you. I really love you, Fang.'

'I hate you, Ari. Truly despise you, actually, but I promise you can keep loving me,' Fang drawled, 'You want to know why?'

Ari nodded, his complete euphoria stopping him from fully comprehending anything Fang was saying.

'Your love for me reduces you to some insect under my finger, unable to escape and completely at the mercy of my every whim. And as much as I hate you, I really am loving that' Fang finished in a whisper, his lips almost touching Ari's ear.

Deep in a stupor induced by a taste of hope and happiness, Ari was still not able to ignore that. And he found that once one comment had made its way through to him, the others were much harder to ignore. He let out soft growl, and grabbed hold of Fang's hair. He pulled Fang down to the ground, momentarily knocking the wind out of him. He straddled him and then ran his finger across the scars he'd left Fang with before moving his attention to Fang's face, his eyes, nose, his lips…

'Don't underestimate me, Fang,'

Ari could feel him trembling beneath him, and bestowed upon him one final kiss. And then he left. He told himself that it wasn't forever. That he'd be back for Fang. But as he flew away there was a certain finality in his actions. It felt like fairytales discarded, hearts breaking. Like a flight of no return.

***

Fang pulled himself up off the ground. The room seemed so much emptier than it had before. He lifted his finger up to his lip, remembering the weight of Ari's lips against his, and tried to convince himself that it was still hate that made his heart pound when he thought of him.


End file.
